Employee Blossoms at Empowering Gardens
Darrin poses with some of the products he has created: knitted bunnies and carrots, painted greeting cards, lavender heart sachets and plants he has propagated.
Initiative, commitment and reliability are traits any employer would value in an employee, attributes that Darrin Dillard, age 54, has demonstrated since joining the staff of Empowering Gardens four years ago. That’s why Ana Solares and Richard Biggins established the Forest Park nursery and plant store in 2015--to give those with disabilities a chance to work in a thriving business where they are encouraged to tackle new skills, contribute ideas and bloom like the plants they nurture.
When Darrin was first hired, his skills included some knowledge of plants, knitting, drawing and painting. As an Empowering Gardens team member, Darrin has learned customer service skills and excels at creating the greeting cards sold in the store. An avid knitter from a young age, Darrin turned to YouTube to teach himself to knit garden-themed products, like bunnies and carrots, adding to the store’s inventory. He surprised the owners when he took the initiative to propagate cuttings and nurse them into full plants. “He is engaged in the business, which helps himself and us,” says Ana. “He is also very dedicated, taking two buses and the Green Line to commute from his Chicago home.”
Darrin loves his job at Empowering Gardens. “Everyone here is very nice,” he says. “I like to meet customers and help carry their purchases to their cars so they can make their homes beautiful. I like to learn about new varieties of plants and to make the crafts. And I earn money.”
Rose Krogh, an avid gardener and frequent customer, has watched Darrin grow in confidence at Empowering Gardens. “I believe its mission of cultivating its employees as well as its business serves our community in ways that are priceless,” she says.
Initiative, commitment and reliability are traits any employer would value in an employee, attributes that Darrin Dillard, age 54, has demonstrated since joining the staff of Empowering Gardens four years ago. That’s why Ana Solares and Richard Biggins established the Forest Park nursery and plant store in 2015--to give those with disabilities a chance to work in a thriving business where they are encouraged to tackle new skills, contribute ideas and bloom like the plants they nurture.
When Darrin was first hired, his skills included some knowledge of plants, knitting, drawing and painting. As an Empowering Gardens team member, Darrin has learned customer service skills and excels at creating the greeting cards sold in the store. An avid knitter from a young age, Darrin turned to YouTube to teach himself to knit garden-themed products, like bunnies and carrots, adding to the store’s inventory. He surprised the owners when he took the initiative to propagate cuttings and nurse them into full plants. “He is engaged in the business, which helps himself and us,” says Ana. “He is also very dedicated, taking two buses and the Green Line to commute from his Chicago home.”
Darrin loves his job at Empowering Gardens. “Everyone here is very nice,” he says. “I like to meet customers and help carry their purchases to their cars so they can make their homes beautiful. I like to learn about new varieties of plants and to make the crafts. And I earn money.”
Rose Krogh, an avid gardener and frequent customer, has watched Darrin grow in confidence at Empowering Gardens. “I believe its mission of cultivating its employees as well as its business serves our community in ways that are priceless,” she says.